Fayette

County voters will set the course for the future

of the county's school system next Tuesday, when

they cast ballots for or against a $90 million

SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax)

and bond package.

Supporters

of the funding package, designed to finance

additional classrooms, technology and security,

are optimistic that the 1 percent sales tax will

pass. "I have a really good feeling about

it," said Janet Smola, cochairman for the

Fayette Citizens for Continued Excellence in

Education.

"What's

occurring is people are getting comfortable with

the facts, and digesting the information. The

SPLOST/bond package is in the best interest of

the county," Smola said.

Smola

and Don Apking, who cochair the pro-SPLOST

coalition, will continue to crisscross the county

along with members of the Fayette County Board of

Education and staffers up to Tuesday, to address

parent/teacher organizations and civic groups

about the needs of the school district.

In

essence, passage of the sales tax would provide

the funds necessary to house and educate 5,000

more students anticipated in the school system

over the next five years.

The

funds also will provide the money needed to buy

property to build two 800-capacity elementary

schools, one 1200 capacity middle school and one

1,800-student-capacity high school.

One

of the two elementary schools is targeted for

construction on a site to be determined south of

Fayetteville. The other elementary school and a

middle school would be built between Peachtree

City and Fayetteville. (See map on Page 6A.)

Board members agreed that an escrow account would

be set up for a new high school south of

Fayetteville. A large enough tract of land for

the middle school also would be home to another

high school as the future demands.

According

to the project proposals, major improvements are

planned for all elementary school playgrounds.

SPLOST money also will pay for electrical

upgrades at Brooks, East Fayette, Fayetteville,

Huddleston, Oak Grove, Peachtree City, North

Fayette and Tyrone elementary schools. This would

allow installation of upgraded technology over

five years at these facilities. New lighting and

energy management systems are included in the

proposal.

Sandy

Creek High School is slated to get an auditorium

and expanded physical education facilities.

Stadium improvements at Fayette County High

School will include bleacher repair and

replacement of the track. The Starr's Mill

Stadium amenities would be included, such as

visitors bleachers and visitor's concession

stands and press box along with additional

physical education buildings. McIntosh High

School will get a new physical education facility

and major improvements to the existing stadium.

There

are currently 98 portable classrooms in place at

county schools. Additions at J.C. Booth Middle

School and Whitewater Middle School will replace

the trailers, combined with the 300 total

classrooms slated.

The

1 percent tax would take effect Jan. 1 and remain

in place for five years, or when revenues reach

$90 million, whichever occurs first. The tax

would then be dropped. If the referendum passes,

the board of education also will sell $50 million

in bonds to have money to jump start construction

and improvement projects at all schools.

The

Board says it also risks losing millions in state

construction money if it cannot provide local

matching funds by June 2000 and have projects

underway.

Over

the last three months, school officials have

emphasized that continuing population growth in

the county has pushed them to take action.

Smola

explained to parents at a SPLOST information

meeting at Kedron that in 1996, the Georgia

Legislature passed a law allowing referendums for

special local option sales taxes with the

specific purpose of funding school districts

strapped financially due to booming populations.

"Out of 159 counties, 125 have voted for a

SPLOST since 1996," she said.

Fayette

remains the only county in the metro Atlanta area

not to float a SPLOST. Clayton County voters also

will vote Tuesday on whether to continue their

special sales tax which has been in place for

five years. Their projected total is $189

million.

Fayette

County now has a 5 percent sales tax. The 1

percent SPLOST would raise it to 6 percent,

generating an extra $1.5 million a month,

official said.

Dr.

John DeCotis, Fayette County school

superintendent, has said that failure of SPLOST

could result in a higher teacher/student ratio,

double sessions and possibly year-round school.

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